My Tia’s house is the light coral one on the 2nd floor with the terrace on the far right. You go through the black gate to go up the stairs.
Tagged with Havana
My Thoughts on Cuba & Tourism
I know I’ve been posting a lot of photos from Cuba, And it’s funny because through the various Instagram filters I’ve used, I am romanticizing the city. As I edited my photos in Instagram I’d show my Tia Gladys my pictures and she was like, “Wait, that’s my street or that’s the city? You’ve made it look so nice!”
As a Cuban-American who has gone twice now I have mixed feelings on how everyone views Cuba as a tourist destination and how everyone is anxious to go. It’s like a new hipster destination and the old cars and crumbling structures are quaint photo ops.
Look, I’m not against Americans going at all but I do hope that if you find yourself traveling to Cuba, that you educate yourself on the realities of what the Cuban people have been through and are still going through. As a tourist, you see the romantic, sort of cleaned up version of Cuba, not the hardship going on behind closed doors. Did you know they still have rationing? And the reason they have all those old cars is because no cars could be imported until recently? Oh, and Che Guevara is NOT the hero history has tried to make him be.
I can recommend several books if you are interested. “Cuba: What Everyone Needs to Know” by Julie Sweig may be a bit heavy & academic on the history but it’s great background.
And I leave you with a picture of the market where my Aunt shops & picks up her rations – whenever they get the limited items they do get.
More almendrones
This is a great article that explains the classic car phenomenon in Cuba, or almendrones as they are called, but to summarize:
“New American cars have been off-limits under the U.S. trade embargo since 1960. In fact, until a relaxation of rules in 2013, Cubans were forbidden to buy any cars manufactured abroad. And only the most affluent Cubans can afford new vehicles. According to my unscientific survey of Havana streets, purchasers seem to go for the Korean brands Hyundai and Kia..”
“However shiny they may look from the outside, not all the American classics remain in original condition… Such substitutions have been necessary because the U.S. embargo bans replacement auto parts as well as new vehicles. That has also led to a lot of imaginative reengineering such as modifying springs made for train cars into replacement auto springs, which doesn’t guarantee the smoothest ride.”
Visiting Mom’s Old House in Habana
Today’s story… We visited the house Mom & Dad lived in as newlyweds (Dad had lived there during his previous marriage). The current owners graciously allowed us in. This mirror and shelf are right at the entrance and the current owner said they just can’t be removed without doing damage so there they are, over 50 years later.
I took a picture of Mom in front of them and here are pictures of her in the same spot on her wedding day and the day after as they headed out on their honeymoon.
Across the street from my Mom’s old home in Santos Suarez.
